Escape
by gizmo8us
Summary: Chuck and Blair feel the strains of their busy lives trying to balance careers and family.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N : This is a re-editted version of this chapter with a few little fixes to make the story go where i wanted it go in a better way. Sorry for the delay. There have been complications. But hopefully everything is settled now and updates will be more regular. As for the reviewer that mentioned the song - I had every intention of crediting the song when it came to a point where it wouldn't be a spoiler. I understand that most of you know where this is going. But crediting it in the beginning would have given it away. But here it is. And BTW - the song is titled Escape, not the Pina Colada Song. It's by Rubert Holmes and it kills me that on this site where we creatively use other peoples work in the most basic way- this is what bothers you - that the song wasn't immediately credited. Kinda silly if you ask me. Anyway here is the new Chapter one. Two will be up either later tonight or tomorrow. Hope you enjoy. **

There were three people following him down the hall and Chuck Bass was sure there were ten more waiting for him outside his office. It was always like this, never a break, never a lull. His personal assistant, Lisa Weissman was being joined this morning by the head of Bass Industries charity department, Leon Richards and the company's CFO, Roger Mansfield.

The two men never got along and they seemed to be carrying on a rather loud argument as they trailed behind him on his way to his office. He thought about ducking into an empty room along with corridor just to see if the two would even notice his sudden disappearance.

It seemed to Chuck that the two men purposefully sought him out once a week to fight in front of him just so Chuck would know they still hated each other. Honestly, Chuck could have cared less whether they were buddies or not. All Chuck cared about was that Roger was the best at what he did and Leon was the best at what he did. Unfortunately it was inevitable that they wouldn't like each other. One was trying to make him money while the other was looking for ways for him to give it away.

He wondered as he turned a corner and continued to ignore the feud behind him how much of this crap he'd have to get through before he could shut his door and drink a cup of coffee in peace. Judging by the scene as he approached his door, it could be hours.

Several people, a couple he was glad to see and many more he wasn't, were already gathered around his door, waiting for the man of the hour. This kind of scene used to give him a jolt of power like nothing else in the world could. Now it just made him feel tired and overworked.

He needed a vacation. His wife, Blair was constantly telling him he needed to get away. He had always assumed it was more for her sake then his. But lately, he could feel the strain and he knew she was right. He needed a break. He needed a minute to himself. Between all the pull at work and the push at home he was bound to break any minute. It wasn't that he didn't love Blair. Of course he loved Blair. But there was always something, some social obligation, a dinner here, a charity there, the opera, a play, the symphony, opening night at a movie. Blair never missed a PR opportunity and Chuck was always dutifully at her side.

And again, he couldn't blame her. Mass media was her friend. She needed to be seen and frequently, not just because it was good for her clothing label but because of the various causes, charities, clubs, and organizations she belonged to. Good Lord, even he couldn't keep up with everything she had her fingers in. He had no idea how she managed all that plus a full time career and being the best mother he'd ever known.

When he really thought about it, it looked like both of them could use a vacation. But Blair wouldn't have it. He already knew exactly what her kind of vacation would entail and he wanted no part of it. There was no way Blair could stand to be out of the spotlight. She'd end up bringing the spotlight with her and cameras snapping in his face and obnoxious reporters yelling inappropriate questions at them wasn't his idea of relaxation.

And then there was his son, Henry. When Blair wasn't dragging him away to some event or other, Chuck spent his time with Henry. And it was the best time of his life, hands down. His five year old was a delight. They played for hours, building forts, wrecking hot wheels, playing with trains. Henry had all but replaced Nate as Chuck's best friend, which was fine since Chuck hadn't really heard from Nate in quite a while. Both claimed to be too busy and what precious time was truly their own and not work or family's was private. Chuck didn't know about Nate but his 'me' time was absolutely something he would guard with his life. There was just so little of it. Still, he missed sharing breakfast with Nate while they read the paper and passed their morning joint around or firing up an fresh one when they both got home in the evenings. Smoking just wasn't the same without his buddy to share it. He'd all but given it up. Now it was an indulgence. Something he did when Henry was with relatives for the evening and Blair was at a meeting. He thought about calling Nate up on a few of those occasional occasions but had never really gotten around to it.

He used to be so used to being alone. He couldn't imagine what life was like with people constantly around. And now he couldn't find a place to get away. He had started taking baths as a rouse to get a few moments of peace. He hated baths, for the most part. He was a shower man, always had been. Get in and get clean. There are more important things to do, unless of course he wasn't looking for alone time. But the baths served their purpose. There were few things in the world that Blair held more sacred than bath time and she allowed him the same space she expected for her own.

But still it wasn't nearly what he needed. He needed to go some place where he wouldn't have to look at another individual for at least a couple of days.

That sounded so selfish and he felt a little guilty for that. But it was how he felt. There was no use lying to himself about it.

He managed to get into his office and behind his desk, finally. Leon and Roger were now having it out in front of his desk while Lisa tried to get a word in edgewise so she could fill him in on his schedule and the people outside.

He stood up and put both his palms flat on his desk causing a bit of a bang and bringing both of the men to silence immediately. "I can not hear either of you while you're talking at the same time. Now calmly, one at a time, tell me what the problem is."

He never found out exactly. It wasn't a minute after his ass hit his office chair again that the debate was back on. Instead of interfering this time he dropped the newspaper he was carrying on his desk and motioned for Lisa to get him coffee. They could fight it out for a while. He'd just catch up on the headlines while they went on.

He was half way through his coffee before he got bored and threw them out. It was something of a record for him. But then he'd finally found the proper distraction and currently he was staring so intently at his computer monitor he had no idea what they were saying or doing anymore.

Lisa stopped in to refill his coffee and tell him that, as per his orders, all those people waiting on him had been told to make an appointment and sent away. Now he could relax and concentrate on what was really important, the woman he was currently absorbed in an internet conversation with.

It had all started out innocently and it still was. He could honestly say he didn't feel even a little bit guilty about taking a few moments out of his life to talk to someone he now considered a friend.

One of his colleagues had told him about a site where executives could go to just unwind and meet people like themselves, other tired, worn-down executives with which they could share their misery. It sounded like a stupid idea to Chuck. Why cry about what you can't change?

Then one day in a fit of boredom while waiting for an appointment with some stuffed shirt or other, he'd stopped in. The site had several rooms to chose from everything from singles rooms to meeting places to more adult types of rooms. He found himself in one called 'Making New Friends'. That's where he found her. That was two months ago and the relationship had quickly gone from two people occasionally popping into the same chat room to two people who regularly messaged each other from time to time throughout the day. They'd even had lunch together, over the internet, once.

And it was nice. With Nate gone, Blair too busy, and Henry not being old enough yet, it was good to have someone to talk to that understood where he was coming from. And dreamingofborabora was exactly that someone. She never failed to amazing him with how well she could read his mind. It was like she knew what he was thinking before he could type it. It had been a long, long time since he'd felt connected to anyone like that.

And she was being especially chatty today.

_Dreamingofborabora_ : _Have you ever wondered how all these people would feel if they got bombarded the way we do every time we enter the building?_

_goldenwingtips : No, I try not think about these people anymore than I have to. _

_Dreamingofborabora _: _Have you thought about what we talked about the other day? I really think you should seriously consider it._

_goldenwingtips : Just taking off all alone? I couldn't do that. I have a family. I couldn't leave them behind. _

_Dreamingofborabora_ : _I have a family, too. But sometimes I feel like if I don't get just a little time to myself I'm going to explode. I need to go. And I don't want to go alone. You need this, too._

_goldenwingtips_ : _My wife would kill me if she found out. _

_Dreamingofborabora_ : _And my husband would kill me, but isn't it worth it?_

_goldenwingtips_ : _Just give me some time to think about it. _

She'd proposed the idea a few weeks ago, the two of them sneaking off to Bora Bora, of course, for a few days of sun and relaxation. The problem was she wanted to go alone, just the two of them and to be honest that thought scared the hell out of him.

He was attracted to her. He didn't think that would be possible with the kind of relationship they had. But it was true and there was no denying it. She just simply said the exact right thing too often for him not to be. Or maybe it was because she was just too much of a kindred spirit. They had both inherited their businesses from their parents at a young age. They were both married, both had a child. They both had absentee parents and were raised by nannies and various other servants.

In a more intimate conversation than they usually indulged in, it was revealed that both of them had tried and failed to live up to their father's expectation for them when they were young. Both had a rather sorted past and neither wanted to talk about it. And they both loved the Ocean.

Chuck hadn't been to a beach since Henry was born and it was wearing on him. He used to make a habit of getting to the sand at least once a year. At one time, he jetted off for some sun every time the wind changed. But now it was just too hard to get away. There was too much to juggle.

_Dreamingofborabora_ : _okay but don't take too long or I'll leave without you. _

_goldenwingtips_ : _You wouldn't leave me behind would you?_

_Dreamingofborabora_ : _I will if you drag your feet. This place is sucking all the life out of me. I have to do something soon. _

_goldenwingtips_ : _ I know, you know I do, but I have to think about this. I can't just jump up and leave anymore. The old me would have already been in the beach chair. But I'm trying to be a better person now. _

_Dreamingofborabora_ : _You know this is about more than just us getting away. I know neither of us were sure last time we mentioned it but I think I am sure now. Do you think we should meet? _

Chuck sat back in his chair and stared at the tiny blinking cursor on the screen. He had no idea what to say. He wanted to meet her, God did he want to meet her. But it was a bad idea. He knew it. Nothing good could come out of a meeting in person between them. He'd determined that weeks ago. He loved Blair, and despite how perfect this woman seemed to him, there was no way she could be more perfect than Blair. There was no use in meeting her. It was pointless.

But how could he tell her that without it seeming like he mislead her somehow. He'd lose the only friendship he had at the moment, the only active one anyway. He couldn't risk it. He needed these little escapes she provided him too much.

He couldn't deny either that he and Blair had been going through something of a rough patch. It was hard keeping up with their busy lives, sometimes, more often than not, it was their relationship that suffered for it. He couldn't remember the last time they had dinner, just the two of them or stayed up late talking and making love like they did in the beginning.

But he had every confidence it would pass. Things would settle down eventually and they would find each other again. It was just a matter of time. The one thing they were never unsure of was how much they loved each other. And it wasn't like they were fighting all the time. They just weren't talking at all. Sometimes he thought maybe that was worse. At least when they were fighting they were still connecting on some level. At the moment, they were strangers passing each other in the hall on the way to their busy schedules.

He'd thought about that question throughout the entire day. In fact, he'd thought of little else. He left the office a little earlier than normal, stopped off on the way home for a bouquet of flowers and walked into his penthouse with a smile on his face, comforted by the knowledge that all that thinking boiled down to one basic, simple truth. He wanted to connect with someone. He needed to connect with someone and there was no one on the planet he wanted to connected with more than his wife.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: okay in case you haven't read chapter 1 since yesterday. You probably should re-read it. I changed some things around to make the story work better. Sorry for the delay. But here it is chapter 2. **

"Henry! Stop dragging Monkey by his tail!" Blair Bass snapped at hearing the poor dog's whimpers. She didn't bother turning away from her laptop. She didn't have to. She knew what was happening. It was her son's new favorite game, much to Monkey's despair.

She glanced around at the desk full of sketches laid out around her and then back to the laptop screen with its 'to do' list overflowing. Then she sighed, took a deep breath and shouted, "Dorota!"

It only took a moment for the gentle-faced maid's head to appear in the doorway of Blair's home office. "Yes, Miss Blair?"

"Can you take Henry to the park? Maybe you could call Vanya and the two of you can take Anna and Leo with you?" Blair asked with a persuasive smile. "I know how much Leo and Henry enjoy feeding the ducks."

"Yes, Miss Blair. But you should come, too. You also like feeding ducks." Dorota suggested as she crossed the room to Henry and offered him her hand.

"I really would." Blair conceded. "Actually, you have no idea how much I would, but I have all these sketches to get through for the new line, and I'm in charge of organizing the entertainment for the NYCCAH benefit. I haven't begun to make calls about that. Plus there's the Violet ball in a few weeks and I'm on that committee and I need to call the caterers for the NY historical society breakfast. I'm just so swamped."

"Alright. We go," Dorota acquiesced in her thick Polish accent. "But you know you do too much. You should at least call Mrs. Bass and go out to lunch with her. She called again this morning."

Her mother-in-law, Lily had been calling for nearly a week now trying to urge her away from work for a break. If anyone in the world could understand what Blair was going through, it was the high-powered, super charged Lily Bass. And Blair truly appreciated her concern. Maybe she could get away, just for lunch. Besides, she and Lily were both on some of the same committees. She could call it a working lunch, just to make herself feel better.

"Okay, I'll call her. Now let me get back to work."

"Come on, Henry. The ducks are waiting," Dorota said as she lead Blair's son from the room.

Blair watched them go and had to beat down a pang of envy. She really did want to join them. She loved spending time with her son. She'd set up her home office for just that purpose. But as Henry got older, it got harder to get any work done while he was under foot.

At times, he was the most reserved, calm child she'd ever known. But that wasn't always the case. With Fall doing its best to keep Winter at bay, Henry was smart enough to know that his days of playing outside were numbered and her normally relaxed, well behaved child was making a play for getting us much fresh air as he could before the weather forced him indoors.

She couldn't fault him for that. And her very intelligent son had learned if he caused enough of a ruckus while she was trying to work, she'd either stop and pay attention to him herself or call on someone who would.

She got a lot more done than she expected and a glanced at the clocked showed it was only half past ten. She thought about calling her husband and trying to coax him to join her and Lily for lunch at Cafe Boulud, but she quickly decided against it. The last thing she wanted was to hear him give her a list of all the reasons he couldn't possibly get away.

She didn't blame him, or at least, she tried not to. It just seemed to her that if she could find an hour in her busy schedule, so could he. But he wouldn't and she gave up the idea without putting any effort into it. Her disappointment when he ultimately refused would only lead to more resentment and that was the last thing they needed between them.

Instead of dwelling on it, she flipped open her laptop and quickly logged into to see if maybe, just maybe, he might be free as well.

He was something of a guilty pleasure for her. And though that guilt reared it's ugly head and left a prang in her stomach every time she clicked on his name and sent him a message, she couldn't seem to stop herself.

It was all Serena's fault. She'd introduced her to the site. She'd encouraged her to go to the chat room where they'd met. And Blair was an expert at deflecting blame. So she'd lay what part of it she could at Serena's feet.

Still, there was plenty of blame to go around. And really there was no one else to turn to but herself for the lion's share of it. She was the one trying to talk him into coming along with her on a getaway that didn't involve her work or her family. She was the one that had developed a certain attraction for the mysterious man on the other end of the computer. And she was the one that was trying to talk him into meeting her in person. All that was her.

Her only excuse, the only explanation she had, was that she was so completely miserable. It wasn't all Chuck's fault. It wasn't as if he'd done anything. But the fact was, she spent more time with all the strangers in her life than she spent with her husband. If she actually shared a meal with him, it was an event. And making love had become something that needed to be scheduled and prepared for.

It wasn't like she didn't know coming in to this that their relationship would be a challenge. She just didn't think either of them would let it turn into what it had turned into without giving it much of a fight. They'd promised each other in the beginning that they wouldn't let this happen to them. They'd seen it happen too many times to other couples, high powered life styles and happy marriages just didn't usually mix. Something had to suffer. They'd promised each other it wouldn't be their marriage.

But that was exactly what had happened and she could see them heading straight down the path that had lead so many others to ruin. She didn't want that. She loved her husband. Chuck was still the love of her life and he always would be. She just wasn't sure how to turn things around at this point. And she knew she couldn't do it alone.

It seemed like every attempt she made to fix things was quickly dismissed with a wave of his hand and an excuse on his lips. It was almost like he just didn't care about making things better between them. She didn't want to believe that. She was still almost positive that Chuck loved her as much as she loved him. Although, she had to admit, it had been ages since she'd actually heard him say it and mean it. Oh, there was the quick little 'love ya' as they went their separate ways in the mornings and usually another just as bland declaration before they fell asleep at night.

And it wasn't like she hadn't tried to talk to him about how she felt. She had. Just the other night after spending almost an hour talking to him about how she felt, she realized, somewhere along the way, he'd fallen asleep. And still she couldn't blame him. If he got five hours of sleep at night it was a marathon of rest for him. His work ran him ragged. She ran him ragged. He was enviably up before her in the mornings. While she was just coming to bed long after he'd fallen asleep. In fact, there were days she didn't see him at all.

She'd been telling herself for months now she needed to cut back on some of the things that took up her time. It was deciding which things that was the problem. All her causes, all her charity work, and all the free press that those things brought to her fashion line were important to her. Seeing her at those events wearing her designs, that was what filled the chairs during runway shows and filled the orders for her collections.

And nothing, nothing, went out of her studio without her express approval. Perhaps if she wasn't such a control freak, it would be possible to hear more help. But this was her mother's company, her name that was going down the catwalk. She couldn't leave that in someone else's hands. She just couldn't.

So here was, seeking out companionship wherever she could find it. The man on the other end of the computer had proven to be a good one. He sympathized with her, understood exactly where she was coming from. In fact, he was experiencing much of the same problems in his own life. She even understood and appreciated his reluctance to meet her face to face. It spoke of just how much he loved his wife and his family and wanted to fix things. She wished her own husband cared as much. An affair wasn't what either of them were after. That much they had both made clear. It was also very clear that the attraction between them was mutual and strong and meeting in person probably would not be a good idea.

Still, Blair had always been the greedy type. It was a character flaw. She knew it. One piece of chocolate was never enough for her. She'd never been able to stop at buying just one pair of shoes. She reveled in the connection she felt with her mysterious _goldenwingtips_ stranger. She wanted more.

The idea of jetting off together and leaving everything behind for a few glorious days hadn't even been her idea. It was his, something he'd said in passing that she hadn't been able to get out of her mind. Again, she wasn't looking for a clandestine hookup in some exotic location. Just a friend to sit on the beach with and sip Pina Coladas.

She'd tried talking Chuck into taking the vacation with her, but once again she was rebuffed as he gave her some silly excuse about not possibly being able to get away at the time. And the idea had been as much about him as it was her. She knew he needed to get away. She could see the signs in the tension in his shoulders and the way he tossed and turned all night in bed. The stress was getting to him. Everything was getting to him. He didn't even seem to have as much fun spending time with Henry as he once did.

Maybe Lily could help her talk to him again. If Chuck would listen to anyone in the world, it was Lily. And Blair knew getting his stepmother on her side wouldn't be a problem. If Lily had even seen Chuck in the last few months, she'd completely agree that a vacation was more than called for.

With that thought in mind, she signed off with her mystery man and gathered her things to head off to lunch. Maybe this new tactic would derive her desired results. At this point she was willing to try anything to save her marriage and rekindle things with Chuck.


	3. Chapter 3

"Blair!" he shouted as he stepped off the elevator with his bouquet of pink peonies in hand and a mission to reconnect with his wife on his mind.

He'd already called from the car and made plans for his step-sister, Serena to come by to pick up Henry. He'd left instructions with his secretary that he was was not to be called for any reason, at all. He'd even gone so far as to turn his phone off in the elevator on the way to their penthouse apartment. Nothing would deter him tonight.

Nothing, of course except the lack of his wife, which was exactly what he was finding as he went on a room to room search for her.

What he did find was Dorota, their maid, standing at the kitchen island feeding his son something that look chocolatey and gooey.

"Daddy!" Henry exclaimed as he clamored to his side and plastered himself to Chuck's leg.

"Hey, Buddy," Chuck smiled down at the little boy and ruffled his dark hair with his free hand. Then he stepped to the island, set the flowers down and lifted his son into his arms. "Where's Mommy?"

"She's gone doing big people things. Dorota and I are making s'mores. They're yummy," Henry explained enthusiastically.

"Big people things?" Chuck asked over his shoulder with a raised eyebrow at Dorota.

"Miss Blair had opening night at the Ballet tonight. I'm sure she put it down on your calender. You were supposed to meet her there." Dorota explained.

"I didn't bother to look," Chuck muttered, as he set Henry back on his feet. "Damn it, it's always something."

"It still early. I'm sure you can catch her there," Dorota suggested helpfully.

"Yes, well, the problem is that I don't want to catch her there. I wanted to catch her here and maybe actually get a chance to share a meal with my wife," he spat contemptuously.

"You know this is important event. Miss Blair needs to be seen there. She's premiering one of her new designs," Dorota said, like he didn't already know.

Chuck frowned, thinking about how beautiful Blair probably looked. He'd seen the dress she was planning to wear and he'd been looking forward to seeing her in it. His wife had always been beyond stunning. And her beauty hadn't faded even a little in the seven years they'd been married. In fact, in his humble opinion, she just got more lovely with each passing year.

He gave himself a moment to imagine the way the golden color of the dress would look against her brown locks and creamy skin. The thought made him want to dart upstairs, grab his tux and make a beeline to wherever she was. But his exhaustion held him in check.

He just couldn't make himself do it. He did his best to make sure he didn't let her down when it came to things like this. He tried to make it to all the events and galas in her busy schedule. But tonight it was all too much for him. And he knew a small part of that was due to his disappointment in not being able to spend his evening the way he'd planned, with her alone.

He'd had it all worked out in his head and he'd been looking forward to it all day. A bottle of wine, a fire in the fireplace, dinner ordered in from some place decadent. It was to be a candlelight dinner on the coffee table in the den. It had been so long since they'd done it. It used to be a regular occurrence before Henry was born. In fact, Chuck would wager to bet that Henry was conceived on the rug in front of that fireplace.

Now he couldn't even remember the last time it had been used.

"Well, buddy," he said, looking down at his son. "What do you want to do tonight?"

"Just you and me?" Henry asked hopefully.

"Yep, just you and me and maybe a pizza," he confirmed.

"You sure you don't want me to stay, Mr. Chuck. I could watch Henry while you have a rest," Dorota offered.

"And miss the chance to hang with my favorite guy? No way. We'll be fine. You have a good night and we'll see you in the morning. Go have dinner with your own kids. I bet they miss you, too." Chuck told her as he took his son's hand and lead him off towards the living room. "So what do you want on your pizza?"

Blair was so tired it took everything in her to make it through the hotel lobby and into one of the elevators. She used her card key, granting her access to the renovated and completely redesigned penthouse suite. They'd taken over the entire top floor of the Empire, Chuck's hotel. Half had been converted into a ballroom suitable for exclusive events that regular guests didn't have access to and the other half was her home. It was a large sprawling space with plenty of room and lots of character.

Honestly, she loved it and she loved sharing it with her family.

Monkey met her at the door as soon as she opened it, greeting her with a wagging tail and a look that said he'd been waiting for her to come home all day. She bent for a moment to scratch him behind the ear and was rewarded with a slobbery lick on the hand in exchange.

"Where's Daddy?" she asked him in a voice just above a whisper. "Is he already in bed?"

Monkey pranced around her feet for a moment before taking off in the direction of the living room.

She stopped in the kitchen and laid her purse down on the breakfast bar before following him.

What she found was a picture that she wished she had a camera to capture. Then she remembered her cellphone and went to snatch it from her purse before she recalled discarding it on the bar. Still, she stood for a long handful of minutes, just watching, committing the scene to memory as best she could.  
There was a fire in the fireplace. It's welcome warmth was doing a perfect job of chasing off the slight chill in the crisp fall night air. Chuck had discarded his suit jacket somewhere and now he was settled back against the arm of the black leather sofa with his shirt sleeves rolled to his elbows, tie loosened to the point of messy and a sleeping Henry on his chest.

Chuck himself was asleep as well and Monkey had taken up a sentinel position on the cushion beside his two masters and was resting his head on Chuck's thigh. It looked as if they had fallen asleep watching a movie, both were positioned in the direction of the flat screen on the wall to the right of the fireplace. She glanced up at the screen and wondered what they'd been watching. Then she realized she didn't care, she just wished she'd been around to watch it with them.

With a regretful sigh, she thought about just covering them up and leaving them be for the night. They looked almost too comfortable to move. But she knew Henry probably wouldn't get as good of a night's sleep on the sofa as he would in his own bed and he did have school the next day.

So she moved over to her son and did her best to gather him in her arms without waking either him or his father. She succeeded in one and failed in the other.

"When did you get home?" Chuck asked as he blinked sleepily and tried to help her pick Henry up.

"Just now. Let me get him to bed and we'll have a drink," she offered, as she scooped up the little body and started out of the room with him.

"You missed a great movie," Chuck told her when she reentered the room.

"Really?" she smiled as she took the drink he offered her. "I'll bet there were robots. He loves robots."

"_Tranformers _to be precise, but yeah, robots," he smiled back at her.

"I bet I've seen that movie a hundred times and I still wish I had been here to watch with the two of you tonight." She commented as she flopped down in the seat recently vacated by the dog.

Chuck, however, sat down on the rug in front of the coffee table and stretched his legs out towards the fire. Monkey immediately took the opportunity to try to lick his master in the face and Chuck did a good job of fighting him off by making him settle for a belly rub instead.

"I'm surprised he didn't go for _Ironman._ That's his newest obsession." Blair said as she sipped at her drink.

"I guess he was feeling nostalgic. It's been a while since I've had a chance to sit down and watch T.V. with him." He gave Monkey a final pat before shooing him away and turning back to her. "Come join me. It's been a while since I've had a chance to sit in front of the fire with my wife as well."

Blair blinked at him in surprised and wondered for a moment what had inspired what felt like a sudden change to her. "Okay," she answered, setting her drink on the coffee table. "Just let me go change out of this terribly uncomfortable thing. I'll be right back."

She made it almost to the door when he stopped her. "Blair," he said and she turned back to him. "I was right. You do look absolutely beautiful tonight."

She choose a blush colored peignoir with a matching robe which she tied loosely. She took all the pins from her hair and let it fall to her shoulders. After giving it a quick brush out, she returned to find him right where she'd left him only now there was an open bottle of wine, two glasses and a bouquet of pink Peony's on the coffee table as well.

"What's all this?" she asked as she joined him on the rug.

"This was my plan for the evening. I was going to have Serena take Henry to her place for the night and we were going to have a coffee table picnic like we used to. Remember?"

She chuckled quietly as she picked up the bouquet and took a deep breath of the flower's scent. "I remember. I wish I had known. I wouldn't have missed it for the world."

Dorota had arranged the flowers in a cut glass vase they'd received as a wedding gift, she thought from Chuck's uncle Jack, but she wasn't certain.

"Best laid plans..." Chuck sighed. "Next time, I'll make sure you're in on them. In fact, how about we make this a preview and we plan to do it tomorrow."

Blair almost agreed without thinking about it. "We can't tomorrow, Henry's parent-teacher conference." she reminded him. "How about the night after?"

Chuck started to nod, then stopped before it got very far. "That will be Thursday. I have a dinner meeting with an investor over the Brooklyn project. I can't miss it. Friday?"

"My mother and Cyrus are coming in. I promised them we'd have dinner Friday night and then do something with them and Henry Saturday afternoon." Blair shook her head. "And Mother is coming by Waldorf Designs on Sunday to see how everything is going. In fact, I'm going to be so busy the next couple of days getting ready for her, I don't know when I'll be free."

Chuck ran an impatient hand through his hair and sighed in disgust. "Damn it, I'm just trying to find a time to have dinner with my wife. It shouldn't be this hard. Most people do it every night."

Blair moved closer to him and put her hand on his arm. "We aren't most people, Chuck. We knew that. I know this is hard. But it will get better."

"When? When we retire?" Chuck spat sarcastically then regretted it because he didn't mean to take any of this out on her.

But Blair just took it in stride and gave him a smile. "Well, yeah, and by that time Henry will be grown as well, so all our time will be ours."

"Like you won't have the house full of grandchildren under foot all the time," he scoffed, but it was a playful scoff.

"Yes, but the greatest thing about grandchildren is the ability to send them back to their parents when you want some alone time."

Chuck raised his glass. "Well, then, here's to grandchildren and retirement."

Blair raised her as well. "It can't come soon enough," she agreed.


End file.
